Can Pyrex Glass Bowls Go in the Oven?

Yes, pyrex glass bowls can go on in the oven as they are built to withstand high temperature and thermal pressure.

However, make sure to stick to the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid shattering the glass.

The plastic lids that come with pyrex glass balls are not oven-safe. They will melt if you put them in the oven and are designed only for storage purposes.

I would also like to stress here that pyrex should always be used in a preheated oven and up to the temperature range specified in the manufacturing booklet.

The booklet will also tell you how to handle Pyrex glass bowls inside an oven, and provide you instructions for before and after using them.

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How to Use Pyrex Glass Bowls in the Oven Safely

For glass bowls, thermal shock is a dangerous term that must be avoided.

When a breakable glass material is exposed to sudden temperature change, it results in thermal shock.

It can be a sudden change from cold to hot or vice versa.

When the pyrex glass bowls are suddenly placed in a heating oven, the side of the glass closest to the heat source becomes hot while the other surface areas that are away from the radiant heat remain cool.

This results in different pressure generation across the surface area causing stress on the glass surface.

The result is the glass bowl shattering into pieces.

Preheat your oven

Once the glass has shattered, cleaning up an oven is not an easy task.

To avoid all the mess, all you have to do is preheat your oven before placing Pyrex glass bowls inside.

Preheating the oven creates uniform temperature inside the oven. This way all the sides of the glass will receive uniform temperature whether near the radiant heat or further away.

Use room temperature cooled glass bowls

Although you might be tempted to grab the bowl of food from the freezer and heat it in an oven immediately, it always pays to use glass bowls that are at room temperature in an oven.

I would highly discourage you from shocking the glass from freezing to heating or heating temperature to freezing temperatures.

Following the practice of cooling down to room temperature will help give a long shelf life to your glass bowls.

You could take the bowl out from the freezer for half an hour to forty-five minutes before putting it into the oven.

Add liquid at the bottom of the glass bowl

Another way that can lead to thermal shock would be cold liquid or juice dripping out from cold food on the hot glass surface.

To avoid this situation, I would suggest pouring a small amount of liquid into the bottom of your glass bowl.

Once water is added, any other liquid released at a different temperature will not harm the glass.

The liquid will act as a buffer in the oven and reduce the chances of cracking.

Use Both Hands (padded) To Take Out the Pyrex Bowl from the Oven

It will be a good idea if you use both hands(padded) to remove the glass bowl from the oven. It will give you a strong, firm grip on the cookware.

I must warn you here. Never use wet oven pads or mitts. Pyrex is a good conductor of heat. Touching a hot bowl with wet mitts may cause burns. Ensure your oven gloves are dry before using them to remove your glass bowl.

Place on Dry Cloth/Towel

Put a folded dry kitchen napkin or towel on the slab and then place your Pyrex glass bowl.

This will protect your glass bowl from thermal shock and help in cooling it down to room temperature.

Keep Within the Temperature Limits

All oven-safe Pyrex glasses have oven safety limits written in the manufacturing instructions.

It is best to keep below the recommended temperature limit to make your bowl more durable.

Pyrex glass is slow to heat but once heated, it will retain heat for a long duration.

The best temperature range is 300-450F for Pyrex glass bowls.

After taking all precautions, if the glass does end up breaking, allow it to cool down before picking up the shattered pieces.

A handheld vacuum helps to clean up the tiny particles of glass quite well.

Also read: Can You Put Pyrex on the Gas Stove?

Oven-safe temperatures for Pyrex glass bowls

Because of the material makeup of the pyrex glass, it is very safe to bake in it at 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In 1988, the pyrex company stopped using borosilicate as their main ingredient. The thermal shock ability of the pyrex glass has come down since then.

So while you can use the glass vessel at 450F, always preheat your oven and let the glass cool down in the oven before removing it.

Follow the manufacturing instructions when using the glass bowls for temperatures greater than 450F.

For example, one care instruction is not to overheat oil or butter inside a glass bowl and to cook quickly taking up the least amount of time.

Do not change the temperature all of a sudden. Let the bowl cool down in the oven before removing it.

However, Pyrex Tupperware bowls can safely be used at higher temperatures (up to 700F) as they are made with borosilicate glass.

Also read: How to Tell If a Pan Is Oven Safe?

Advantages of Pyrex Glass Bowls

Pyrex glass bowls are made in the US and are safe from chemicals leaching into your food.
It is made with sturdy materials that can withstand heat. Pyrex glass has soda lime as the major component.
Due to its non-porous nature, it will neither absorb food odors nor cause any change in food flavors. The best part is that glass bowls will have no food stains!
It is made for multipurpose usage- oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe.
You can store, bake, heat, and microwave in the beautifully crafted Pyrex glass bowls. The plastic lead containers can be cleaned easily in the dishwasher and are BPA-free.
The glass bowls are super sturdy and can be stacked on top of each other to save kitchen or cabinet space.
The glass bowls are apt at rapid thermal expansions and do not break or shatter easily
You can comfortably use the bowls for baking. It is better to grease them beforehand so the baked cake becomes easy to remove.

Also read: Is Pyrex Microwave Safe? Do’s and Don’ts!

Areas to Avoid for Using Pyrex Glass Bowls

There are many cooking methods where Pyrex glass bowls should be completely avoided :

Under a broiler
On a stovetop
On a grill
To make a dish in the microwave (simply reheating is ok)
Heating an almost empty glass bowl
Heating butter or owl inside the glass bowl
Extremely high temperatures above 700F

If Pyrex glass bowls are used in any of the above cooking techniques or procedures, it can result in breaking and shattering of the bowl.

Pyrex plastic lid should not be used inside the oven. Instead, you can replace the lid with a stainless steel plate, aluminum foil, or baking sheet.

There are newly made Pyrex glass bowls in the market that claim to be oven-safe at high temperatures. I would personally not recommend you to use temperatures beyond 500F.

Warranty of the Pyrex Glass Bowls

Pyrex glass bowls come with a two years warranty, including damage due to thermal shock and breaking of the bowl.

Lids and other accessories are only warranted for manufacturing defects soon after purchase.

Also read: Can Cuisinart Pans Go In The Oven?

Are all glass bowls safe to use in an oven?

Most of the modern-day glass bowls are quite sturdy and oven safe if they are at room temperature and put in a preheated oven up to 300F.

First, look for the oven-safe mark or read the instruction booklet. Please remember that the glass bowls sold as safe for the microwave may or may not be safe to use in an oven.

Next, try to find out what material your glass bowl is made from. Glasses made from silica and soda-lime are heat resistant and safe for the oven.

Pyrex is made from soda-lime and quite safe to use in the oven. Tempered glass is also made from soda-lime and is safe for the oven.

Borosilicate can tolerate extremely high temperatures up to 750F. It is made from a combination of silica and boron trioxide.

Conclusion

Pyrex glass bowls come in different shapes and sizes, are quite attractive, and are durable.

Due to their sturdy nature, they can be used safely in the oven. Above 400F, you need to be very careful and follow the manufacturing instructions.

Never place the plastic lids inside the oven. Thermal shock can crack and shatter any glass bowl. Make sure to preheat your oven and avoid sudden temperature fluctuations.

Let the bowl cool down to room temperature before using it inside the oven. Add a small amount of water to the bottom of the bowl. Remove with both hands and place the bowl on a dry surface like a kitchen napkin or towel.

For more help, you can reach out on their website.

Hope I have helped in providing you with information about using Pyrex glass bowls in the oven. Now that you are well prepared, I wish you all the best!

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